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How to Make Kumquat Jam or Marmalade - Easily! With Step-by-step Directions, Photos, Ingredients, Recipe and Costs

How to Make Homemade Kumquat Jam or Marmalade - Easily!

Making and canning your own
kumquat jam (sometimes misspelled cumquat or even comquat) or
marmalade is quite easy.
Just scroll down this page to see how to make a kumquat jam that you can store
on your counter or shelf until you are ready to open it. The recipe is in
easy steps and completely illustrated. Kumquats are typically
available from November through June in the US, particularly California,
Texas and Florida. The kumquat is a small orange fruit of the citrus family.
It is oblong and about the size of a small plum; the rind is golden-orange,
the flesh is rather dry and the seeds are small. When fully ripe, kumquats
can be eaten raw, often sliced and added to salads and fruit cups.
More commonly they are cooked whole in a sugar syrup, candied, or made into
jam or marmalade (recipe below)

Ingredients

Water: 6 cups water; Better yet, use orange juice
instead of water. The orange juice type with extra pulp makes the
flavor better that just using water

Lemon juice: 1/2 cup lemon juice

Pectin - 1 package (box usually) or if you get it in bulk, 8 Tablespoons, see the directions below for specifics - (it's a natural product, made from apples and available at grocery stores (season - spring through late summer) and local "big box" stores. It usually goes for about $2.00 to $2.50 per box. You'll get best results with no-sugar needed pectin, whether you choose to add sugar or not!
See here for more information about how to choose the type of pectin to use.

Jar funnel ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) or order it as part of the kit with the jar grabber.

Sugar - About
5 cups of dry, granulated (table) sugar (yes, you can substitute honey
or agave, but artificial sweeteners, like Stevia, my preference (or if you prefer, Splenda) or Aspartame
generally don't work well)

Equipment

At least 1 large pot; I prefer 16 to 20 quart lined or
stainless steel pots for easy cleanup.

Ball jars (Grocery stores, like Publix, Kroger, Safeway carry them, as do some big box stores - about $7 per dozen 8 ounce jars including the lids and rings)

Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They may only be used once.

Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may be reused many times.

Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)- Big box stores and grocery stores sometimes carry them; and it is available online - see this page. It's a tremendously useful to put jars in the canner and take the hot jars out (without scalding yourself!). The kit sold below has everything you need, and at a pretty good price:

Optional stuff:

Foley Food Mill ($25) - not necessary; useful if you want to remove seeds (from blackberries) or
make applesauce.

Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water where you sanitize them. ($2 at big box stores or it comes in the kit at left)

Jam-making Directions

This example shows you how to make Kumquat jam. The yield from this recipe is about 8 eight-ounce jars (which is the same as 4 pints).

Step 1 - Pick the kumquats! (or buy them already picked)

If you have your own trees (typically in Florida, Texas or California) or
have a local farm to pick your own, you can obviously get better quality
fruit!

As mentioned in the Ingredients section; you may use frozen kumquats (those without syrup or added sugar); which is especially useful if you want to make some jam in
the off-season.

How much fruit?

Jam can ONLY be made in rather small batches - about 6 to 8 cups at a time -
like the directions on the pectin say, DO NOT increase the recipes or the jam
won't "set" (jell, thicken). (WHY? Alton Brown on the Food Channel says
pectin can overcook easily and lose its thickening properties. It is
easier and faster to get an even heat distribution in smaller batches.

Step 2 - Wash the jars and lids

Now's a good time to get the jars ready, so you won't be rushed later. The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle, the water bath processing will sanitize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher with a sanitize cycle, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then sanitize the jars by boiling them 10 minutes, and keep the jars in hot water until they are used.

NOTE: If unsanitized jars are used, the product should be processed for 5 more minutes. However, since this additional processing can result in a poor set (runny jam), it's better to sanitize the jars.

Put the lids into a pan of hot, but not quite boiling water (that's what the manufacturer's recommend) for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out. Leave the jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry" until you are ready to use them. Keeping them hot will prevent the jars from breaking when you fill them with the hot jam.

Step 3 -Wash the fruit!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the kumquats in plain cold water.

Step 4 - Chop the fruit

Finely
chop the kumquats and measure them before dropping them into a large stew
pot. Chop up enough to make 2 quarts (which is 8 cups) chopped fruit.
That will probably take about 24 kumquats, but it does vary! If you
want to make marmalade, instead of jam, cut kumquats in cartwheel slices
with a very sharp knife, to make slices thin as possible.

Discard seeds, stems and the white center part.

Step 5 - Cook the kumquats until tender

Put
the chopped or sliced fruit in 8-quart kettle. Add the 6 cups of water
(or orange juice) and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Bring to a quick boil, then turn
down the heat and cook gently for 1 hour, uncovered.If peel is not
tender in 1 hour, continue simmering until tender.

Step 6 - Let stand overnight

The Ball Blue book and many recipes suggest that the set is
improved by allowing the mixture to stand, in a cool room or fridge for 12
to 18 hours.

Step 7 - Jam or marmalade?

If you want seedless, skimless jam, you may need to run the crushed cooked
kumquats through a Foley food mill (at right). They cost about $30.
If
you want marmalade, just move on to the next step! Of ocurse, if you want jam,
rather than marmalade, you'll need at least twice as many kumquats!

Step 8 - Measure out the sugar

Measure out 5 cups of sugar. Of that 5 cups, remove 1/4 cup to use in the next
step to mix with the pectin.

You can substitute honey or agave, but artificial sweeteners, like Stevia, my preference (or if you prefer, Splenda)
or Aspartame generally don't work well)

Step 9 - Mix the kumquats with the pectin and cook to a full boil

Measure the cooked kumuats. Add water, as necessary, to make a total of 7 cups
of the cooked kumquat puree with added water. Put back in pot. Stir the pectin into the
kumquats and put the mix in a big pot on the stove over medium to high heat (stir often enough to prevent burning). It should take about 5 to 10 minutes to get it to a full boil (the kind that cannot be stirred away).

Why use pectin? You may run into grandmotherly types who sniff "I never used pectin!" at you. Well, sure, and their generation took a horse and buggy to work, died of smallpox and ate canned meat and green beans that tastes like wet newspapers. Old fashioned ways are not always better nor healthier. Pectin, which occurs naturally in fruit, is what makes the jam "set" or thicken. The pectin you buy is just natural apple pectin, more concentrated. Using pectin dramatically reduces the cooking time, which helps to preserve the vitamins and flavor of the fruit, and uses much less added sugar. But, hey, if you want to stand there and stir for hours, cooking the flavor away, who am I to stop you! :) Having said that, there are some fruits that have naturally high amounts of pectin (see
this page for a list) and they simply don't need much or even any padded pectin.

Notes about pectin: I usually add about 25% - 30% more pectin (just open another pack and add a little) or else the jam is runnier than I like. With a little practice, you'll find out exactly how much pectin to get the thickness you like.

Another tip: use the no-sugar needed pectin. You can still add sugar to it and it cuts the amount of sugar you need from 7 cups per batch to 4 cups or less! And it tastes even better! On the other hand; I have never had success with the No-sugar pectin
without adding ANY sugar. It always turned out runny and bland. You might want to try using the no-sugar recipe with a mixture of sugar and Stevia, my preference (or if you prefer, Splenda); sugar and white grape juice,
or just white grape juice - that will cut down the sugar, but still preserve the flavor.

Is your jam too runny? Pectin enables you to turn out perfectly set jam every time. Made from natural apples, there are also natural no-sugar pectins that allow you to reduce the sugar you add by half or even eliminate sugar!
Get them all here at the best prices on the internet!Amazon.com Widgets

Step 10 - Get the lids warming in hot (but not boiling) water

Lids: put the lids into a pan of hot water for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars?

Get them all here, delivered direct to your home, at the best prices on the internet! Amazon.com Widgets

Step 11 - Add the remaining sugar and bring to a boil again for 1 minute

When the kumquat-pectin mix has reached a full boil, add the rest of the sugar (about
5 cups of sugar per batch of kumquats) and then bring it back to a boil and boil hard for
4 minutes... If you bring it back to a full boil fairly slowly (on medium heat rather than high) that will help reduce foaming.

Remove from heat.

Step 12 - Skim any excessive foam

Foam...
What is it? Just jam with a lot of air from the boiling. But it
tastes more like, well, foam, that jam, so most people remove it. It is
harmless,
though. Some people add 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine to the mix in
step 6 to reduce foaming, but food experts debate whether that may contribute to
earlier spoilage, so I usually omit it and skim.

(The photo is from strawberry jam, that's why it is red - I
forgot to take a picture of this step with kumquats!)

Step 13 - Testing for "jell" (thickness)

I keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency I like, then I know the jam is ready. If not, I mix in a little more pectin (about 1/4 to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute.

Notes about "set" (thickening or jell): It takes 3 ingredients for jams and jellies to set: pectin, sugar and acidity. The amount of pectin that is naturally occurring in the fruit varies from one type of fruit to another and by ripeness (counter intuitively, unripe contains more pectin).
See this page for more about pectin in fruit. It takes the right balance, and sufficient amounts of each of pectin, sugar and acidity to result in a firm jam or jelly. Lastly, it takes a brief period (1 minute) of a hard boil, to provide enough heat to bring the three together. Generally speaking, if your jam doesn't firm up, you were short in pectin, sugar or acidity or didn't get a hard boil. That's ok - you can "remake' the jam; see
this page!

Step 14 - Fill the jars and put the lid and rings on

Fill them to within 1/4-inch of the top, wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them. Then put them into the boiling water canner!

This is where the jar tongs come in really handy!

Step 15 - Process the jars in the boiling water bath

Keep the jars covered with at least 2 inches of water. Keep the water boiling. In general, boil them for
5 minutes, which is what SureJell (the makers of the pectin) recommend. I say "in general" because you have to
process (boil) them longer at higher altitudes than sea level, or if you use larger jars, or if you did not sanitize the jars and lids right before using them. The directions inside every box of pectin will tell you exactly. The directions on the pectin tend to be pretty conservative. Clemson University says you only need to process them for 5 minutes. I usually hedge my bets and start pulling them out after 5 minutes, and the last jars were probably in for 10. I rarely have a jar spoil, so it must work. But you don't want to process them too long, or the jam will turn dark and get runny. See the chart below for altitude adjustment to processing times, if you are not in the sea level to 1,000ft above sea level range.

Note 1: If you plan to eat the jam immediately, or don't have canning
equipment, you can let it cool, then store it in the fridge or freezer! It
will keep for a month or two in the fridge and almost indefinitely in the
freezer

Note 2: Some people don't even boil the jars; they just ladle it hot into hot jars, put the lids and rings on and invert them.
No authority I know recommends this, and putting the jars in the boiling water bath REALLY helps to reduce spoilage! To me, it makes little sense to put all the working into making the jam and then not to process the jars to be sure they don't spoil!

Recommended process time for kumquat jams in a boiling water canner.

Process Time at Altitudes of

Style of Pack

Jar Size

0 - 1,000 ft

1,001 - 6,000 ft

Above 6,000 ft

Hot

Half-pintsor Pints

10 min

15

20

Step 16 - Remove and cool the jars - Done!

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or
bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

It may take up to two weeks for the marmalade to set and thicken up.
It will be runny until then!

Once cooled, they're ready to store.
I find they last about
18 months. After that, the get darker in color and start to get
runny. They still seem safe to eat, but the flavor is bland. So
eat them in the first 12 to 18 months after you prepare them!

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

Jar lifting tongsto pick up hot jars

Lid lifter- to remove lids from the potof boiling water (sterilizing )

Lid- disposable - you may onlyuse them once

Ring- holds the lids on the jar until afterthe jars cool - then you don't need them

local "big box" stores, sometimes Big Lots and local hardware stores, and usually grocery stores, like
Publix, Kroger

$2.80

Total

$20.55 total
or about $2.56 per jar

(if you already have the jars, and just need
new lids: $1.82 per jar

And if you grow your own strawberries, it's almost free!

** - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and
reusable equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars! Many
products are sold in jars that will take the lids and rings for
canning. For example, Classico Spaghetti sauce is in quart sized
jars that work with Ball and Kerr lids and rings- some
authorities do not recommend these, saying they are more prone to break,
and while I have found that is true of mayonnaise jars, I have found the
Classico spaghetti jars to be pretty sturdy.

Can't find the equipment? We ship to all 50 states!

As my jars are cooling after i take them out of the canner, they sometimes
make a popping or hissing noise. Is this normal and safe?Yes, the lids are designed to flex and that's actually a key selling point.
You can tell if a jar hasn't sealed properly (after it has cooled completely) if
the lid flexes and makes a popping sound when you press the center of the lid
with your finger. The popping sounds while it is cooling is the lid being
sucked down by the vacuum that is forming inside the jar - which a normal part
of the sealing process. Hissing sounds are usually just escaping steam or
hot water evaporating on hot surfaces, also normal!

Why should cooked jelly be made in small batches?
If a larger quantity of juice is used, it will be necessary to boil it longer thus causing loss of flavor, darkening of jelly, and toughening of jelly. It really doesn't work. Trust me; I've tried many times!

Can I use frozen kumquats instead of fresh?Yep! Raspberries can be particularly hard to find fresh and are expensive! Frozen
kumquats work just fine, and measure the same. Just be sure to get the loose, frozen whole fruit; not those that have been mushed up or frozen in a sugar syrup!

When I used store-bought strawberries, and didn't crush them much, I got
separation of the fruit from the liquid, and floating fruit in the jars?
What happened?The problem is the store bough are much less solid; more airy - partially
due to the varieties grown for shipping, partly due to being picked more unripe,
and partly due to drying out a bit during shipping. So they are less dense than
the sugar solution surrounding them. Add to this that your didn't crush them as
much.. and you get floating! They should taste ok; just stir them up when you
open them.
So, if you must use store bought, crush them more and simmer them a few minutes
longer (before adding the sugar) and that should at least reduce the floating!

Could you tell me why my JAM is thicker then the store bought?
The natural pectin content of fresh fruit varies, so it is possible the the
variety of fruit that you used has more natural pectin, making it thicker. But
there's an easy answer - just add less pectin next time. You'll have to
experiment to find how much pectin makes the consistency you like. Most people
seem to like their jam thick, so you may to need to only use 3/4 of a pack of
pectin per batch.

Must I use a water bath method to make jam? Can I use my pressure
canner or is it not really necessary?
Yes, you should use a water bath
method; it cuts the spoilage rate down to almost zero. There are people who
don't, by just inverting the jars, but unless your are absolutely
scrupulously clean, you will get spoilage, and there is still a risk of food
poisoning, albeit it smaller than with other canned products. Jams only need
5 minutes in the water bath anyway, thanks to the very high sugar content
combined with the acidity.
Either water bath or pressure method works. For making jam, the water bath
is easier and much faster. You needn't buy a water bath canner, if you
already have a pressure canner, since you can use your pressure canner as a
water bath canner, by simply not sealing it (allowing the vents to remain
open, not putting the weight on it).

What is the best way to de-seed kumquats for jam? I heard a few different
ways. A food mill, a ricer, and cheese cloth.For large seeds (blackberries, apples, and larger) I find a Foley Food Mill
works best - it's certainly faster and easier than the other methods. Raspberry
and smaller seeds are a real pain. They get stuck in (and clog) or pass through
a food mill. The Villaware mill has a smaller screen that works great for them!
See this page for more information
about both strainers. Cheesecloth and jelly strainers are messy, take forever and you
lose most of the pulp. For these, I find a metal sieve or colander (with small
enough holes) and a spatula to help mush them and push the pulp through, is
best. Also, heating the mushed up berries almost to boiling really helps to
separate the seeds and pulp.

Do you have a recipe for strawberry-rhubarb jam using honey for
sweetener and using pectin as a thickener? I haven't tried it, but it
ought to be possible, as the primary sugars in honey are fructose and
glucose. With a no-sugar pectin, it should work well, using the usual
honey-to-sugar substitution ratios that you use elsewhere. I'd estimate,
that with a no-sugar pectin, you could use 2 cups of honey per batch (of 6
cups of mashed fruit) and get a pretty good result. If anyone makes jam with
honey and has any tips, write me,
and I'll share them here.

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